Fuel-feed system for engines with starters.



G. R. WADSWORTH.

FUEL FEED SYSTEM FOR ENGINES WITH STARTERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1913.

1,088,854.. Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEERLESS MOTOR CLEVELAND, OHIO, A GORPORATIO'N 0F OHIQ.

FUEL-FEED SYSTEM FOR ENGINES WITH STARTERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE It. WVAoswon'rrr, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have 1nvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fuel-Feed Systems for Engines with Starters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, such as are utilized on motor driven vehicles, and directly concerns fuel feed systems of self starting engines, which are adapted to be supplied with fuel forced from a fuel supply tank by air pressure which is maintained on the fuel within the tank by a suitable pump.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby suitable air pressure in the tank is always assured for starting purposes, especially when the engine 1s cranked or started by a motor.

' More specifically considered, the invention aims to do away with the necessity for hand pumping prior to the starting of the engine, for the purpose of securing sufficient air pressure in the tank to cause fuel to be supplied to the carburetor.

In carrying out my invention, I provide an air pump which is driven or actuated by the starter, and which, preferably, is in action only when the starter is in use. Additionally, the engine is provided with the usual continuously driven or engine driven air pump. Vith this arrangement, when the motor is started to start the engine, in case there is insufficient air pressure to supply fuel to the carbureter, the motor will continue in action, driving the starting air pump untilthe air pressure in the tank is built up to the required pressure, and when the engine starts to operate under its own power, this pump becomes idle, and at the same time, the regular engine pump .15 brought into service, and air pressure will by the engine driven pump for normal operation.

My invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, the single figure is a view, partly diagrammatic, of

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 27, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3,191 4.

Serial No. 776,109.

the apparatus embodying my invention and applied to the chassis of a motor vehicle.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a portion of the chassis to which will be secured in any suitable manner an internal combustion engine 11, which may be of any desired construction. The engine is provided with any suitable form of carbureter 12, which for clearness of illustration is shown detached from the engine, but which it will be understood, will be attached to and supported in any desired manner by the engine frame. At'the rear end of the chassis is the customary gasolene or other fuel tank 13, from which fuel is designed to be forced by air pressure through a pipe 14 to the carbureter. Compressed air is supplied to the top of the tank through piping which may be designated as a whole by the reference character 15. Air is usually supplied through this pipe to the tank by means of an engine driven air pump 16 which is operated at all times that the engine is in operation through the medium of a pump shaft 16*, which may be geared to the engine in any desired manner.

In a fuel feed system of this type, after the engine has been at rest and it is desired to start the engine, there must of course be the required air pressure in the tank to supply to the carburetor the fuel. necessary for starting purposes. It is often the case that especially when the engine has been at rest for some time, that the air pressure runs down, which necessitates the restoration of the air pressure by,a hand pump 18 which is connected by a pipe 19 to the air pipe 15. Although by my invention, the necessity for the use of the hand air pump is done away with, I have illustrated the same herewith, and I may provide my apparatus with the hand pump, as the same can be used in the event that it becomes necessary for any reason to start the engine by hand. In this instance, the engine is adapted to .be started by a starting motor 20 which may be of the electric or other type, and is designed to rotate the crank shaft of the engine through a pressure is established. As

vide an auxiliary air pump 25 which is mechanically connected to the rotary part of the motor so as to be driven thereby and is'connected by a pipe 26 to the air line or pipe 15 extending to the tween the pumps 16, 18 and 26, and the air pipe 15, suitable air checks 27 are provided, so as to prevent the leakage of air back through the pipe 15 in the reverse to that in which it normally passes when fed by any one of the pumps to the tank. An air pressure gage 28, such as is usually provided in a feed system of the tion, may be connected to any suitable point of the air line, as shown. It will be apparent therefore that by causing the starting motor to. have the additional function of driving an auxiliary air pump, even though initially there is-insuflicient air pressure to provide fuel in the carburetor, the motor will continue to operate until the required air soon as the engme operates under its own power, the pinion 21 is thrown out of mesh with the gear 22, whereupon the pump 25 is thrown out of action, and air is supplied solely through the engine driven pump 16.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, I wish it to be understood that the main feature of arranging a pump so as tobe driven through the medium of the starting motor to establish the initial air pressure, may be embodied in various other modified forms and arrangement" than the form and arrangement shown in the drawing, and I therefore do not desire to be confined to the specific details shown, but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a fuel supply tank from which fuel is adapted to be-forced to the engine by air pressure, an'air pump for creatfuel tank 13. Beb direction type under considera-' and a starter for starting the engine and P P- 2. In combination with'an internal comustion engine, a fuel supply tank from which fuel is caused to pass to the engine by air pressure, a starting motor adapted to be connected to the englnefor starting purposes, an air pump connected 'to the tank and connected to said starting motor so as to be driven thereby.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a fuel supply tank from .Which fuel is adapted to be caused to pass to the engine by air pressure maintained on the fuel, an engine driven pump connected to the tank for normally maintainim air pressure therein, means for starting the engine, an auxiliary air pump adapted to be, operatedby said starting means, and likewise connected to the tank so as to supply initial air pressure for starting purposes.

4.. In combination. with an internal combustion engine, a fuel supply tank connected to the engine and-from which fuel is adapted to be caused to flow by air pressure maintained in thetank on the fuel, an engine driven pump connected to the tank for normally maintaining air pressure therein,

means for starting the engine including a starting motor, and means for connecting the same to and disconnecting it from the engine so as to start the engine and thence to be idle, and an auxiliary pump connected to the starting motor so as to be driven thereby when the latter is in operation, said auxil' iary pump being connected to the tank so as to supply initial air-pressure for starting purposes.

In testimon whereof, I hereu-nto afiix my signature in t e presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. WADSWORTH. Witnesses r L. I. Pon'rrm, A. F. KWIs. 

